Michelle Zauner and her band, Japanese Breakfast, have recently been in the spotlight as the music world returns to a more normal life. Japanese Breakfast was nominated for two Grammys this year. One was a new artist nomination, the other a best album nomination for its album, Jubilee.
The band is also slated to play Bonnaroo and Coachella, as well as speak at South by Southwest this summer with the return of music festivals. This is huge for the band. As a smaller group, they have been thrown into the spotlight which is something that gives the band a large new following and a listener base able to explore new sounds. This band has grown tremendously as the band’s lead singer, Zauner, has also grown as an artist.
Zauner was born in Seoul, South Korea, something she says helped her in coming into the music industry. Her mother was avidly against her going into the music field, which only made her feel more attached to music because she could never escape the passion that was created by it. After her mother died, she turned to music as an outlet for her grief and began to become more in touch with the craft. She often used music as a way to discover things about the world. This led to her starting her music career and this curiosity is reflected in her music, especially early on.
Zauner was recently on campus for the Ohio University Music Industry Summit, alongside artists Saba, Caamp and Noelle Scaggs. She read an excerpt from her latest book, a memoir, followed by a Q&A. If you didn’t have an opportunity to see her, or you have and you're curious about the type of music she makes, then look no further.
At the onset of its career, Japanese Breakfast started with a grungy, new-wave punk sound that was solely reflective in early projects. Japanese Breakfast’s first album is the most reflective of this, as it’s the most guitar-heavy, which isn’t saying a lot as the band uses very alternative sounds. That fact is, it’s something that it hasn’t strayed from throughout their growth as a group. Japanese Breakfast uses a lot of alternative sounds that go along with its indie aesthetic.
In many ways, the band is the epitome of indie pop-rock. They have the sound that goes along with this title, typically led by an impressive vocal performance from Zauner. Often, Zauner’s voice is highlighted and the other components of the song are left in the background. This might be intentional but is most likely just due to the fact that Zauner has such an impressive and intriguing vocal style and it stands out in every song.
In the duo’s latest release, the two have completely shifted their sound to a more revised and mature one than previously displayed in other albums. The songs sound a lot more put together in Jubilee as a result of using more compatible sounds and mastering the songs for a simpler listen. This is similar to their previous projects in that the sounds are still very abstract. Additionally, Zauner’s voice remains at the forefront of every song, but it sounds more intentional in Jubilee.
Japanese Breakfast has successfully evolved from a shoegaze, indie-pop band to a more unique and refined one. They have kept the things that made them an intriguing band, like the new wave sounds and melodies they used in previous projects and made them more grown up in a manner of speaking.
Zauner and her band are set to continue their recent success and grow even more with performances at some major music festivals this summer, which are sure to bring in a larger listener base. This band can only go up from here and they are finally starting to reach the upper echelons of their music career. Watching this band, especially Zauner, reach its full potential is redeeming because they’ve come from such small roots, starting out as a little indie-pop band. It can make any fan proud to see the band coming into the indie scene and becoming one of the bigger names.
